Editing Namibia (section)

===Human rights===
{{Main|Human rights in Namibia}}

Namibia is one of the most free and democratic countries in Africa,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/namibia|title=Namibia &#124; Freedom House|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-date=3 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103140009/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/namibia|url-status=dead}}</ref> with a government that maintains and protects human rights and freedoms. However, significant issues include government corruption, policy inertia and prison overcrowding. Also, refugees are not permitted free movement.<ref name="USDOS"/>

Homosexual acts were formerly illegal in Namibia,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=30 March 2021|title=2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Namibia|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/namibia/|access-date=24 May 2021|website=United States Department of State|archive-date=24 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210524074436/https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/namibia/|url-status=live}}</ref> although the respective law was not enforced.<ref>{{cite news|first=Daniel|last=Avery|title=71 Countries Where Homosexuality is Illegal|url=https://www.newsweek.com/73-countries-where-its-illegal-be-gay-1385974|work=Newsweek|date=4 April 2019|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-date=11 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211204842/https://www.newsweek.com/73-countries-where-its-illegal-be-gay-1385974|url-status=live}}</ref> Discrimination, as well as intolerance, against [[LGBT rights in Namibia|LGBT people]] is widespread, specifically in rural areas. Urban areas are generally neutral or supportive with a few LGBT-dedicated clubs and events.<ref>{{cite news|title=Namibia's gay paraders call for legal protection|url=https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/namibias-gay-paraders-call-for-legal-protection-20170730|work=News24|date=30 July 2017|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-date=19 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719010703/https://www.news24.com/Africa/News/namibias-gay-paraders-call-for-legal-protection-20170730|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some Namibian government officials and high-profile figures, such as Namibia's [[Ombudsman]] John Walters and First Lady [[Monica Geingos]], had called for [[sodomy]] and homosexuality to be decriminalised and are in favour of [[LGBT rights]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Sodomy law's days numbered – Geingos|last=Beukes|first=Jemima|date=14 June 2019|newspaper=[[Namibian Sun]]|url=https://www.namibiansun.com/news/sodomy-laws-days-numbered-geingos2019-06-13|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-date=9 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109194048/https://www.namibiansun.com/news/sodomy-laws-days-numbered-geingos2019-06-13|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages legally made outside of Namibia must be recognized by the government.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Werner Menges|date=16 May 2023|title=Supreme Court gives legal status to same-sex marriages|url=https://www.namibian.com.na/supreme-court-gives-legal-status-to-same-sex-marriages/|access-date=17 August 2024|website=The Namibian}}</ref> In 2024 the Windhoek High Court ruled the ban on homosexual acts between men to be unconstitutional.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Booty|first1=Natasha|title=Gay sex ban in Namibia ruled unconstitutional|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7220g65xllo|publisher=BBC|date=21 June 2024|access-date=21 June 2024}}</ref>

In November 2018, it was reported that 32% of women aged 15–49 experienced [[Violence against women|violence]] and [[domestic abuse]] from their spouses/partners and 29.5% of men believe that physical abuse towards their wife/partner is acceptable, although this is typically in rural areas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/gbv_web.pdf|title=Landscaping Gender Based Violence in Namibia|vauthors=Alweendo N, Andreas R, Rafla D|date=November 2018|website=Democracy Report|access-date=6 June 2019|archive-date=5 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605153651/https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/gbv_web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The Namibian constitution guarantees the rights, freedoms and equal treatment of women in Namibia<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.unesco.org/creativity/namibia-gender-indicator-gender-equality-objetive-outputs|title=Namibia – Gender Indicator – Gender equality {{sic|obj|etive|nolink=y}} outputs|date=9 December 2015|access-date=21 August 2020|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103145359/https://en.unesco.org/creativity/namibia-gender-indicator-gender-equality-objetive-outputs|archive-date=3 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and SWAPO, the ruling party in Namibia, has adopted a "zebra system", which ensures a fair balance of both genders in government and equal representation of women in the Namibian government.<ref>{{cite news|title=Namibia's 'zebra' politics could make it stand out from the global herd|last=O'Riordan|first=Alexander|date=8 July 2014|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/08/namibia-gender-equality-zebra-politics|access-date=3 January 2020|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814124357/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jul/08/namibia-gender-equality-zebra-politics|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="USDOS">Human Rights in Namibia (November 2021). [https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/namibia/#:~:text=Significant%20human%20rights%20issues%20included,or%20elsewhere%20in%20the%20government. 2021 Country Report on Human Rights: Namibia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015012246/https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/namibia/#:~:text=Significant%20human%20rights%20issues%20included,or%20elsewhere%20in%20the%20government. |date=15 October 2022 }}. state.gov</ref>